Manifolding device



Nov. 22, 1932.

W. A. PRINGLE MANIFOLDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 50, 1929 m N R 0 f T. A

atented Non. 22; 123@ WILLEM A. PRINGLE, OF NIAGARA FALLS,

B001?. CMPANY, LIMETED, OF TORNT GNTABG, CANADA .NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR TO AMERGAN SALES 0, ONTARIO, CANADA, A. CORPORATION 0F MANFGLDNG DEVICE Application led November 30, 1929. Seniat No. 410,694.

This invention relates to improvements in manifolding devices and with reference to more particular features thereofit relates to improvements in manifolding machines for making manifold records, such, for example, autographic registers, typewriters and the 1 e.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved manifolding device including a simple and commercially practicable arrangement whereby manifold inscriptions may be made with a minimum of time and effort.

A further object is to provide in a manifolding device of the class mentionedy an improved and commercially practicable arrangement whereby a continuous traveler fan-folded record strip may be utilized and at the same time an inscribed record strip may be automatically stored or filed for future reference.

Still another object of the invention is to provide for manifolding machines of the class mentioned an improved arrangement for issuing a plurality of inscribed record sheets attached together in a unit and to le a separate inscribed record sheet.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement for supportl i g the carbon or transfer sheets in manifolding relation with the continuous or traveler record strips.

A further object is to provide animproved transfer sheet support which may be readily attached and detached from the manifolding machine and may be attached or detached by a simple operation, also functioning to firmly support the transfer sheet i'n operative `position` and to prevent accidental detachment thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved folded supply pack of record strips adapted for use in manifolding machines of the class mentioned in which it may be conveniently utilized for the accomplishment of some of the objects above mentioned.

Other objects of the` invention will be in part pointed out in the following detailed description of an illustrative but preferred to which the transfer sheet embodiment of the invention and will be in part obvious in connection therewith.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and' objects of the invention, reference is had to the subjoined detailed description and to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical section through an autographic register embodying the invention. f

Eig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view with parts broken away in order to disclose the construction more clearly, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the zigzag folded supply pack of work webs or record strips.

For a detailed description of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing wherein the invention is shown as embodied in an autographic register of the type disclosed in Patent #1,658,127 issued to Clarence L. Johnston on February 7th, 1928. This machine includes a casing indicated generally at 10 having a compartment 11 for the reception of aI supply pack 12 of record strips and a compartment 13 for the reception of a pack or pad 14 of inscribed record strips which may be filed or folded in position by means of a mechanism similar to thatdescribed in the Johnston patent mentioned. A, rear swinging door 15 may be provided to\r gain access to the storage compartment 11. When this door is swung into open position a supply pack may be inserted or the pack in position may be adjusted.

A fiat platen 16 forming a writing table or support for` the record strips is also provided being preferably hinged as at 17 so as to be lifted upwardly to provide an opening into the upper part of the supply compartment 11. Supporting lugs 18 attached to the casingf'lO may be provided for supporting the longitudinal edges of the platen 16. A cover 19 having a hinge support 20 at one longitudinal edge thereof overlies the top ofthe machine having an opening 2l registering with the platen 16 through which the operator Works to make inscriptions upon the record strips.

The feeding mechanism for the record strips may be of the same general type as disclosed in the Johnston patent mentioned including two spaced feed discs 22 rigidly mounted upon a rotary shaft 23 mounted in the frame l0 and having an operating handle (not shown) as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The feed roll 24 overlies the feed discs 22 being rotatably supported by the roll housing or support 25, the feed roll being thus held in contact with the feeding peripheries of the feed discs so as to rip the record strips therebetween to cause ceding movement thereof when the discs are rotated.

At the rear end of the register guides for the record strips are provided, these including, in the embodiment shown, the transverse guide rod 26 over which all of the record strips pass from the supply compartment. These guides also preferably include as many auxiliary guide rods or plates 27 as are necessary to accommodate the desired number of record strips. These auxiliary guides 27 may have curved guiding surfaces as shown and are preferably attached to a swinging supporting frame including side supporting members 28 pivoted at their forward ends upon the transverse rod 17. This supporting frame may thus be swung upwardly to facilitate threading of the record strips in position.

At one side of the register a support and housing may be provided for a supply roll 30 of transfer material such for example as the wellknown carbon sheet. From this supply roll the transfer sheet 3l may extend transversely over the platen to the opposite side of theregister where it may be secured in position by means of a clamp 32 attached to the edge of the cover 19 which functions also as a latch to retain the cover in closed position.

One or more additional transfer sheet support-s 33 are preferably provided attached to the machine as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As many of these supports maybe provided as desired and they are preferably all of similar construction and a detailed description of only one is therefore necessary. They are supported at opposite sides of the register so as to enter the folds between the work webs of the fanfolded strip as will more clearly appear later on.

Each transfer support includes a transversely extending bar or finger including at least two flat plates 34 and 35 arranged contiguous to each other and one above another. These plates are preferably of resilient material such as spring steel and are quite thin but of suiiicient rigidity to provide requisite support for the transfer sheet.

At one end each transfer sheet support 33 is provided with a supporting lug 36 preferably disposed at an angle to the support and formed by bending the spring plates. A supporting strap 37 is attached to the register frame having an offset providng a pocket for the recepten of the supportng lug 36. The supporting lug may fit snugly within this pocket so as to provide a suitable support for the member 33 and to prevent accidental disengagement. An upwardly extending tab is preferably attached to the transfer sheet support 33 adjacent the supported end thereof providing an upwardly or protruding handle conveniently accessible for removing the support from its operative position or similarly placing it into operative position. This tab 38 may be in the form of a thin plate as shown attached as by welding or otherwise to the adjacent end of the support 33 or it may be formed by bending one end of thc plate 34 or 35 forming the lug .36 backwardly upon itself. This tab may be separated slightly from the adjacent face of the lug 36 and held thus spaced by its own resiliency or otherwise whereby it may engage with the inner face of the strap 37 thus providing a frictional retaining means for holding the transfer sheet support in its correct operative position. Release of this holding means may be readily effected by pressing laterally inwardly at the upper end of the tab 38.

Due to the resiliency of the spring plates 34 and 35, they are normally retained close together but they may be separated at the free ends 39 so as to facilitate insertion of the end of the transfer l strip between the spring plates. lVhen thus inserted between these spring plates, the transfer sheet, as shown in Fig. 3, may be looped or turned about the supporting bar or finger 33, thus securely binding the attachment of the sheet to the bar and avoiding accidental detachment thereof. It will thus be seen that the carbon sheet may be firmly and securely attached to the supporting bar by means of a very simple operation requiring little time or effort and avoiding excessive handling of the transfer sheet with consequent disadvantages. The transfer sheet may be detached by an equally simple operation.

When a plurality of transfer sheet supports are used for maintaining the transfer sheets in transfer position between the plies of the fanfolded record strip as shown in Fig. 3, said supports 33 are alternately arranged, being supported at opposite sides of the path of record strip feed and extending from their supports toward the opposite sides of the strip path. The free separable ends of the supporting spring fingers are thus disposed in alternate relation adjacent oposite sides of the path of strip feed. The transfer forated at its resse-ev sheets can thus be readily placed in position upon the respective spring fingers and easily inserted into manifolding position between the record strip plies.

lt will be observed that the supply pack l2 includes a zigzag folded fanfold strip 40 having, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, three superposed record strips or work webs. lt will be understood that the adjacent worlr webs of this fanfold strip are connected together at the longitudinal edges thereof as indicated at 4l and this edge connection may be weakened throughout its length by appropriate means, such as perforating the strips along these lines as shown, permitting the webs to be readily detached from each other. The webs of the fanfold strip may be similarly weakened or perforated at the transverse folds thereof, as indicated at 42. Tfor the purpose of simplifying the disclosure of Fig. l, a fanfold record strip having only two superposed webs is shown and therefore only one transfer sheet support 33 is shown in this figure.

lnterfolded with the zigzag folded fanfold strip is a separate record strip or web 43 also zigzag folded and extending continuously throughout the length of the composite record strip thus formed by the strips 40 and 43. There may be as many of these separate strips as desired, one being shown herein and adapted to be folded into the file pad 14 within the ling compartment 13. This separate strip may also be weakened or pertransverse fold lines if so desired.

At intervals along the composite record strip formed by the fanfolded strip 40 and the. separate strip 43, apertures 44 are provided. These apertures extend entirely through the several webs of the fanfold strip and also through the separate record strip 43. rlhey are preferably positioned toward the forward end of the record leaves or form sheets provided between the adjacent folds 42 and arranged in two series near opposite lateral edges of the strips. The apertures are similarly laterally and longitudinally spaced in the the record strips 40 and 43 so as to register with each other when the form sheets or the blank forms thereon for receiving inscriptions are in registry. These apertures cooperate with the feed discs to control the feeding movement of the strips and to align the latter in a manner understood in the art and fully described in the Johnston patent mentioned above.

It will now be understood that when the composite record strip is loaded into the machine, as shown in the drawing, the separate record strip 43 will pass singly over one of the guiding bars 27 while all of the webs of the fanfolded strip 40 will pass together-.as a

lunit over another guiding bar,.the writing areas or form sheets of all of the strips being aligned over the platen 16. The transfer sheet 3l from the supply roll 30 passes entirely across the platen over the separate record strip 43, while separate transfer sheets 45 will he individually supported by the supi the composite record strip have all been ini' scribed by a manifolding operation, the strips may be fed forwardly by the feeding mechanism, a separate record strip being deposited and folded in the file pad i4, while the fanfold strip 40 is issued from the register and the inscribed portions thereof may he severed along one of the transverse weakened lines 42. The different record or form sheets of the severed fanfold strip may then be separated along the longitudinal weakened lines 4l and disposed of as desired to complete the transaction.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is ll. A transfer sheet support for manifoldv ing machines including adjacent spring lingers having separate free ends yieldably movable apart for the reception therebetween rof the transfer sheet, said support having a supporting lug opposed to said free ends.

' 2. A. transfer sheet support for manifolding machines including adjacent spring iingers having separate free ends yieldably movable apart for the reception therebetween of the transfer sheet, said support having a supporting lug opposed to said free ends and a protruding manual manipulating tab adjacent said lug.

- 3. A transfer sheet support for manifolding machines including contiguous spring plates positioned face to face and having separate free ends and a supporting lug opposed to said free ends.

4. In a manifolding machine, in combination, a supporting platen for record strips over which the strips may be fed and means for supporting transfer sheets in overlapping manifolding relation with said record strips, said supporting means including a transfer sheet support having contiguous spring sheet supporting members extending transversely of the path of record strip feed and provided with res'iliently separable free ends between which the transfer sheet may be inserted.

5. In a manifolding machine, in combination, a supporting platen for record strips over which the strips may be fed, means for supporting transfer sheets in overlapping manifolding relation with said record strips, said supporting means including a transfer sheet support having contiguous spring sheet supporting members extending transversely of the path of record strip feed and provided with resiliently separable free ends between which the transfer sheet may be inserted, and means for supporting said transfer sheet support at a point thereof remote from said free ends.

6. In a manifolding machine, in combinaltion, a supporting platenfor record strips over which the strips may be fed, means for supporting transfer sheets in overlapping manifolding relation With said record strips, said supporting means including a transfer sheet supporthaving contiguous spring sheet supporting members extending transversely of the path of record strip feed and provided With resiliently separable free ends between which the transfer sheet may be inserted, and means for supporting said transfer sheet support at a point thereof remote from said free ends, said supporting means including a resilient friction retainer for retaining the transfer sheet support in supported position.

7. A transfer sheet support for manifolding machines including adjacent spring iingers having separate free ends yieldably movable apart for the reception therebetween of the transfer sheet, said support having a supporting lug provided With a` resilient friction retaining tab.

8. A transfer sheet support for manifolding machines including adjacent spring fingers having separate free ends yieldably movable apart for the reception therebetween of the transfer sheet, at least one of said spring fingers being bent to provide an angularly disposed supporting lug, said lug being provided with a resilient friction retainer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM A. PRINGLE. 

